“Murder on the Interstate burns rubber right out of the gate and exceeds the speed limit on every page. With all the car chases, gun shots, screeching breaks, and crashes, the movie version could be the sequel to one of those car-heist action-films. Except for the fact that the protagonists are two women approaching Medicare, and their vehicle is a motorhome. Dana and Sarah are stalwart, clever and funny characters, and author Jean Henry Mead caroms them from one tight situation to another as they weave along the Interstate and into a high stakes mystery.”
I thought, WOW, that ought to stir up interest, but it must have only reminded readers of the tire tracks on the first cover, which has since been changed. Marilyn Meredith’s great blurb came next:
“Full of surprising twists and turns, Jean Henry Mead has produced an RV adventure with her two senior sleuths in hot pursuit of a murderer, but the tables turn and the two women learn that not only are they in danger but so is our national security. An exciting mystery that will keep you turning pages."
Book sales numbers barely budged. I thought maybe the counter was broken or everyone hated the cover. I received several additional reviews, including one of my favorites from Earl Staggs, who said:
"I don’t expect an amateur sleuth novel to start fast. I expect to spend time getting to know the protagonist, then get a feel for the setting, and maybe get to know another character or two before the story begins to move forward. That doesn’t happen in MURDER ON THE INTERSTATE. Jean Henry Mead kicks it off in high gear and doesn’t slow down. This is the kind of novel I enjoy.”
By then I was in the midst of a virtual book tour and Molly’s online review had this to say:
“This was good. REALLY good. REALLY REALLY good. So good, in fact, that I have GOT to go back and get the first two in this series! It was a LOT better than I was expecting. It really gripped me and kept me hanging on, until I was, sadly, on the last page. I couldn't believe the ups and downs and twists and turns it took me on. FANTASTIC!”
Readers didn’t take Molly seriously, so I decided the book’s salvation rested with Kindle and Nook. Murder on the Interstate is now available on Amazon.com in this county as well as in the UK and a number of other countries ebook and print editions. And I'm hoping to attract a narrator to record the novel in an audio edition like eight of my other books.
Are readers forsaking print editions for ebooks? How about you? Do you still prefer print or have you joined the ebook revolution? I asked that question in 2012. Now I'm asking if readers are forsaking ebooks for audio books?
And do reviews influence your book buying habits? Writers (and publishers) want to know. :)
I read books - paper and electronic. Reviews I read on DL may send me looking for a book. Suggestions from friends that have similar reading interests are always helpful.
ReplyDeleteHi Jean! I'm stopping by from She Writes. :)
ReplyDeleteAs a writer and a reader, I buy both print and electronic. Usually I get eBooks because they are cheaper, but I get print if I love the book/series/author.
As for reviews, I don't actually read any reviews before I buy a book. I read the blurb and that's it, because I know that what some people feel about a book isn't the same for everyone.
Hi Jean! I'm stopping by from She Writes. :)
ReplyDeleteAs a writer and a reader, I buy both print and electronic. Usually I get eBooks because they are cheaper, but I get print if I love the book/series/author.
As for reviews, I don't actually read any reviews before I buy a book. I read the blurb and that's it, because I know that what some people feel about a book isn't the same for everyone.
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment, Chrys. I agree about reviews and I'm glad that some readers take them with a grain of salt.
ReplyDeleteAlso from SheWrites.
ReplyDeleteReviews matter. Will you get one great review and see your sales spike? No. Will people sit there and read every review? There are people who will read your reviews but something has to drive people to your site in the first place. What is that magic something? You still need to hit that magic number that will drive Amazon's algorithm. And you need to hit readers in a special place. They have many reasons for being skeptical of reviews. I have great reviews and many of them, but what's the psychology that gets a person to purchase a book? Do people still rely on a personal connection to create a sale? Or somebody with a persona they trust such as Oprah? You're asking about psychology and sociology.
Me? I like to borrow books from our library. I love to support libraries, and we have too many books in our home and are giving books away. But I often ask our public library to purchase a book that I've learned about online. That way, others can benefit, too.
For my own book, Dogs Don't Look Both Ways, I've seen sales after great reviews but I've yet to see THE ONE review that will create a huge and sustained spike in sales. Yet reviews matter when I'm at a meet-and-greet or selling my book at the farmer's market. Bottom line it's critical to keep getting reviews. One day it will pay off. I hope!